Undrafted Free Agents 2015: Notable Players Hitting Open Market After NFL Draft

NFL teams picked up 256 players via the 2015 draft between Thursday and Saturday, the last of them being tight end Gerald Christian of Louisville (to the Arizona Cardinals). However, there is still a litany of football talent out there waiting for teams to give them a chance at making an NFL roster.

Such illustrious names like Tony Romo, Antonio Gates and even reigning Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Butler have made a major impact in the NFL despite not hearing their names called during the NFL draft, so there are very likely some diamonds in the rough waiting to get a post-draft phone call. 

A number of players have already reportedly signed contracts, but here are three of the most talented players that NFL teams can still get their hands on.

La'el Collins, OL, LSU

On pure football ability alone, La'el Collins is certainly one of the most talented undrafted free agents in recent memory. However, NFL teams steered clear of him in the draft due to his part in an ongoing legal investigation. NFL.com's Conor Orr has more:

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Collins is scheduled to meet with Baton Rouge (Louisiana) police in connection with the shooting death of a 29-year-old pregnant woman, Brittany Mills. He is not a suspect in the case, and had a previous relationship with Mills. NFL Media's Albert Breer reported Collins will meet with authorities after the draft.

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Orr also notes, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, that Collins is ineligible for the 2016 NFL draft. Whether or not that spurs a team to pick him up this summer, pending the results of the investigation, remains to be seen.

Rapoport noted he won't sign until Monday:

Meanwhile, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora notes that he stands to benefit from the way things panned out:

Indeed, Collins will likely have many NFL suitors—if not soon, then in due time. As a first-round talent, he has immense control over his future and could very well set himself up to head to a team, such as the San Diego Chargers, that needs help right away on the offensive line.

Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

Anybody interested in a mammoth defensive tackle? At 6'5", 345 pounds, UCLA mauler Ellis McCarthy certainly fits the bill, yet no team deemed him worthy of a draft pick this year. 

His statistics won't blow anyone away (20 tackles, three sacks in 13 games in 2014) and at least one scout told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein he didn't live up to his immense potential as a Bruin:

"He was supposed to be all-world, and when he got to UCLA I don't think he had the discipline he needed. He got too big, and then had knee issues and he never looked like the player he was supposed to be when he came in," said an AFC North scout.

Regardless, McCarthy's size and surprising agility should make him a fine project player for a team, even if he could have used another year of seasoning in the college ranks.

Quayshawne Buckley, DT, Idaho

Fans hoping for some added Sun Belt Conference recognition may be pinning their hopes on Idaho defensive tackle Quayshawne Buckley, a highly productive player who does come with potential character questions.

The Vandals star managed to rack up four sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in 2014. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein pegged him as a fourth- or fifth-round pick and had this to say about his bottom line as an NFL prospect:

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Active, athletically gifted three-technique with outstanding quickness and explosive traits that he used to live on the other side of the ball while at Idaho. Buckley could run into a brief wall while in the pros as he adjusts to a much higher level of competition, but his effort, talent and ability to win once he gets to an edge should give him a legitimate shot to become an NFL player.

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However, Buckely was dismissed from the team in early 2013 for a DUI, per Troy Warzocha of the Lewiston Tribune,  but he was reinstated and had the aforementioned productive season as a senior in 2014.

As a limited risk prospect, it would be a surprise if Buckley didn't latch on to a team at some point in the days following the draft.